Automatically-balancing aeroplane.



M. MATHIESEN. AUTOMATICALLY BALANCING AEROPLANB.

A?PLIGATION FILED JUNE 27, 1911. 1,026,219. Patented May 14, 1912.

' 3 QEETS-SHBET 1.

M. MATHIESEN.

AUTOMATICALLY BALANCING ABROPLANE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 27, 1911.

Patented May 14, 1912.

3 SHBETS'SHBET 2.

M. MATHIESEN.

AUTOMATICALLY BALANCING AEROPLANE. APPLICATION FILED mm 27, 1911.

1,026,219. Patented May14, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARIUS MATHIESEN, OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS.

AUTOMATICALLY-BALANCING AEROPLAN E.

gether with a main wing structure, said car being pendulously connected to said main wing structure, and in addition thereto, pivotally mounted planes and connections adapted when the main wings are tipped with relation to the car, such a position as to counteract such tilting movement.

A further object of the invention is the provision of improved means for accomplishing the above results, together with an improved method of mounting the car with relation to the main wing structure.

Further objects and advantages of the invention .will be set forth in the detailed description which now. follows.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of an aeroplane constructed in accordance with the invention, Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section upon line w-ac of Fig. 4, Fig. 3 is a plan view of the device,

. device and, Fig.6 is an enlarged detail view illustrating the ball bearing mounting of the main wing structure, and the car, upon the main shaft, hereinafter described. Like numerals designate corresponding parts in all of the figures of the drawing.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 5 designates a substantially vertical and longitudinally extending web preferably having a stiffening rib 6 alon its'upper edge. At its lower edge, this W5) is provided at intervals with bearing extensions 7 through which a main shaft 8 passes. Ball bearings 9 are provided for these extensions upon the shaft.

A car 10 adapted to carry assengers and a power plant is'pendulousy hung from the shaft 8 by means of vertical extensions 11 which have a ball bearing mounting indicated at 12 upon the shaft 8. A fixed yoke 13 embraces the divergent end mem- Specifieation of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 27, 1911.

to bethrown to Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the "manufactured, wi

Patented May 14, 1912. Serial No. 635,657.

bers 14 at the rear end of the car 10 and limits the tilting movement of the main wing structure, which comprises web 5 and wings or planes 15, with relation to the car, so that when the deivce rests upon the ground preparatory to flight, these wings willnot fall unduly to one side or the other.

Journaled in hangers 16, supported from the planes or wings 15 and in the central web 5, are shafts 17 and 18 carrying planes 19 and 20. These planes have rigidly secured thereto, arms 21 and-22, said arms being connected by links 23 and 24 with, the forwardly extending arms 25 and 26 of a bar 27, this latter bar being rigidly connected by brazing or otherwise to the car 10.

The operation of the device is as follows: When a sudden gust or flaw of wind striking beneath the main wings or planes tends to tilt the aeroplane in one direction or the other, ture with relation to the car operates the planes 19 and 20 to throw one of them upwardly and the other downwardly, as is clearly illustrated in Fig. 1. This action is greatly facilitated by mountings shown in Fig. 4. When the aeroplane is travelingwith the planes 15 in a horizontal position, the planes 19 and 20 lie likewise in a horizontal position and consequently do not retard the progress of said aeroplane.

I am aware of the fact that it has. been proposed to automatically right an aeroplane b the provision of oppositely tilting wings, ut I am not aware that any structure comprising such-a few a nd directly connected parts which may be economically in operation and not order, has ever been employed.

In the accompanying drawings, illustration of the power plant has been omitted for the reason that it forms no part of the present invention, the invention residing particularly in the automatic operation of the planes 19 and 20 by the tilting of the main planes with relation to the pendulously supported car.

From the foregoing description, it will be seen that simple and eflicient means are herein rovided for accomplishing the objects of the invention but while the elements shown and descrlbed are well adapted to serve the purposes for which they are intended, it is to be understood that the insuch tilting of the main wing structhe ball bearing ll be simple, and reliable likely to get out of vention is not limited to the precise construction set forth, but includes within its purview, such changes as may be made -within..the scope of theappended claims.

claim is:

verse shafts, arms carried by said tilting planes, a car pendulously supported from the main plane structure, a rigid transverse member carried by said car, and a pair of links each pivotally connected at one end to an endof the rigid member and at its other end to one of the arms of the tilting planes.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with a main plane structure, of a car pendulously supported therefrom, a pair of transverse shafts, planes mounted upon said transverse shafts, connections between said planes and said car for tilting said planes in opposite directions when the main plane structure tiltswith relation to said car, means forlimiting the tilting movement of the main plane structure with relation to said car, said means comprising a. fixed yoke secured to the main plane structure and embracing a portion of the car structure.

3. In a device of the character described,

pair of transverse shafts the combination with a main plane structure comprising a longitudinally extending vertical web and a pair of main planes carried thereby, of a pair of transverse shafts supported from said web and from said planes, tiltingv planes supported from said shafts, arms carried by said tilting planes, a car pendulously supported from the main plane structure, rigid arms carried by said car, and linkconnections between said arms and the arms of said planes,

4. In a device of the character described, the combination with a main plane structure comprising a longitudinally extending vertical web and a air of maln planes carried thereby, of a palr'of transverse shafts supported at one end in said web and supported at their other ends from the main planes, tilting planes carried by said transverse shafts, arms carried by said tilting planes, a car pendulously supported from the main plane structure, a rigid transverse member carried by said car, a pair of links each piv-. otally connected at one end to an end of the rigid member and at its other end to one of the arms of the tilting planes, and a rigld yoke depending from said web and embracing a portion of the car to limit the sidewise tilting movement of the main planes with relation to said car.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

MARIUS MATHIESEN. Witnesses:

R. J. BOYLE, C. J. THOMSON. 

